Lone Stars
by Silverfox1
Summary: Smokescreen didn't mean to tell Mirage, but it slipped out and for some reason that bothers Sunstreaker.


Disclaimer: Not mine. I found them running around at Starhorse's site, but they don't belong to her either. I've decided to let them go back there anyway since that's where I picked them up. Actually, this is strongly influenced by Starhorse's The Lost series, but that's what happens, if I try to write about those two Lamborghinis.  
  
A/N: In answer to a challenge by Starhorse. It had to contain the Lambourghinis (okay, no problem) and be under 1000 words (Is that even humanly possible?! Somehow I managed, but I don't know how.) Sorry to those of you who have been waiting ages for an update of my Harry Potter fic. I've been struggling with computer programs and currently I have about a third of the new chapter on paper. The problem with that? The scanner's playing dead and I don't want to type it all over again ...  
  
Author: Silverfox  
  
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Title: Lone Stars  
  
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The recreation room was filled with comfortable noise. Or at least Sideswipe considered it comfortable. It seemed every Autobot currently not on a mission or night guard duty had chosen to come down here tonight.  
  
Had chosen, or been dragged down. It had taken some effort to convince Sunstreaker to join the dirty masses that might accidentally scratch his finish and Sideswipe could only guess how Gears or Mirage might have ended up here.  
  
The noise was mostly easy chatter, but also laughs from the side corner where a bunch of slightly overcharged bots were throwing darts. Sideswipe considered joining them, but right now he was busy talking to Huffer trying to set the stage for a little pranking fun with Gears.  
  
Sunstreaker was sulking somewhere in the background close to the door still worrying about his finish. Everybody else was having fun, though. It was a great evening.  
  
And suddenly the peace was broken by angry words. At fist Sideswipe only picked up on the sub tone, the words still too soft to make out against the background noise. He cast a quick look towards his brother, but for once it wasn't Sunstreaker that had started the argument.  
  
Sunstreaker was looking intently at one of the side tables, though, where Mirage and Smokescreen were suddenly on their feet and glaring at each other.  
  
"Well, get lost then!" Smokescreen's words rang through the entire room. "Who needs a traitor like you anyway?"  
  
Probably had a little too much energon, Sideswipe decided. It wasn't normal for Smokescreen to get into fights like that.  
  
"I'm as much a member of the team as you are." Mirage's voice sounded much calmer. He was most likely sober as he never tended to overindulge himself.  
  
"Ha!" scoffed Smokescreen. "Even Prime says you can't be trusted. Keeps warning me to keep an eye on you."  
  
Complete silence in the room everyone was staring at the two. Smokescreen suddenly looked uncomfortable as if he'd just realised he'd said something he shouldn't. But that would indicate that his words were true. Was Prime really keeping a watch dog on one of his own? It couldn't be!  
  
Mirage stared at him in shock, then at the others as if hoping someone would stand up in his defence. Sunstreaker took a step towards them and Mirage was gone.  
  
Sideswipe blinked at the suddenly empty spot wondering where he'd gotten to while part of his mind was still trying to interpret Sunstreaker's intention.  
  
Then the door opened and closed and Sideswipe realised that Mirage had just turned invisible to escape the stares. Sunstreaker settled back against the wall and Sideswipe returned his attention to Huffer. Ignore the confrontation. It would blow over. Smokescreen was just drunk. That was all.  
  
When he finally finished his little game with Huffer and looked up again Sunstreaker was gone. At first he hoped that his brother had joined one of the groups, but no, he was no longer in the recreation room at all.  
  
With a sigh Sideswipe got up to look for his brother. He finally found him staring at a monitor in the empty and dark control station. This way he'd never make any friends!  
  
"Sunny?" Sideswipe asked. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Watching."  
  
Huh?  
  
"He looks depressed." Sunstreaker continued after a moment.  
  
Sideswipe took a peek at the monitor. Mirage was sitting in the grass outside hugging his knees to his chest and staring at the ground.  
  
"What is he doing out there anyway?" Sideswipe asked.  
  
"He often meets Hound out there at night. Don't know why. They just sit and stare at the stars."  
  
Sunstreaker apparently knew Mirage better than Sideswipe had ever realised.  
  
"Hound's on a mission." Sideswipe noted.  
  
"I know."  
  
"Think he's lonely without him?" he nodded towards the screen where Mirage was playing with the grass twirling it around his fingers, then letting go and brushing it out again.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"I know just the prank to play on him." Sideswipe's optics brightened in anticipation.  
  
"No!" Sunstreaker shot around vehemently.  
  
Sideswipe blinked. He wasn't used to that kind of reaction from his twin. "No?"  
  
"Don't you think we should ask him what's wrong?"  
  
"What?" Since when did Sunstreaker care about others' feelings?  
  
"Please, you're better at it."  
  
That just couldn't be Sunstreaker! But Sideswipe had always wanted to find Sunny some actual friends. Somebody he actually liked. Maybe he should do him that little favour.  
  
And that was when he realised that he had no idea how to talk to Mirage at all. He hardly knew the mech.  
  
"You do it." he told his brother. "You know him better."  
  
That was a first, Sideswipe thought. Usually he was the one among the twins that made contact with others. Sunstreaker was too self absorbed to bother.  
  
"I?" Sunstreaker looked hesitant, then actually straightened and walked out.  
  
Sideswipe watched the monitor. Indeed a few moments later Sunstreaker came into view. He walked up to Mirage, said something. Audio seemed to be turned off on his thing.  
  
Mirage spoke a word or two, then Sunstreaker and Mirage again. All short, not much of a conversation.  
  
Then Mirage turned away ignoring Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker just stood there. Sideswipe wished he'd gone with him to give him hints. Sunstreaker might know Mirage a lot better, but he had no idea how to deal with people. He definitely wasn't good at giving comfort.  
  
Sunstreaker suddenly moved again. He lay down in the grass beside Mirage and ... looked up at the stars as well.  
  
Sideswipe couldn't take it anymore. He knew he shouldn't listen in on a private conversation like this, but he just had to know. A single push of a button turned on audio, but there was complete silence.  
  
Finally Sunstreaker spoke.  
  
"They're pretty." he said.  
  
"Yeah." said Mirage. "They are."  
  
Sideswipe stared at the monitor listening for anything more, but there was nothing. When had Sunstreaker gotten so close to Mirage that they could hold an entire conversation in so few words? 


End file.
